Nearly three years after Tufts University drew headlines for a student journal's publication of a racially charged article, trustees have declared that "freedom of expression and inquiry are not absolute."

The university's "Declaration on Freedom of Expression" calls free speech "fundamental to the academic enterprise," but outlines a series of broadly defined values that could limit what students can say and do. The statement notes, for example, that expression at Tufts should "respect the human dignity of others" and maintain a climate that does not interfere with students' ability to "study, grow, and attain their full potential...